Milling machine



Mariah 18, 1941. R. M. WOHLFARTH ET A1. 2,235,444

MILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 24, 1937 `Patented Mar. 18, 1941 maar MllLLING MACHINE Reinhard yMax Wohlfarth, Dresden, and Paul Alfred Mittel', Pirna-Copitz, Germany, assignors to Aktiengesellschaft vorm. Seidel & Naumann,

Dresden, .Germany Application November 24, 1937, Serial No. 176,172

In Germany November 30, 1936 Ll Claims.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to milling machines and has more particular reference to that kind of machine Ahaving a horizontal arbor for the milling cutter and a vertically adjustable worktable.

I-leretofore it has been customary to accommodate the worktable on a part such as an angle bracket or knee projecting from the upstanding column or frame of the machine and guided thereon for enabling the height Aof the table to be adjusted.

As is well known, during milling operations considerable vertical pressures, amongst others,

r are transmitted to the wcrktable and these pres- 10 sures in machines as heretofore constructed produce considerable tilting moments at the guides on the column or frame.

IThe present invention has amongst its objects to provide an improved mounting or support for the worktable and a guide for the vertical movement thereof., whereby the aforesaid tilting moments are effectively eliminated, and vertical and other pressures more effectively absorbed i during the milling operations, and also whereby 2 the Vertical adjustment of the worktable is more easily effected than heretofore.

With this and other objects in View a feature of the present invention consists in the provision in a milling machine of the kind referred to, of o a worktable support comprising an upstanding pillar carried by the machine base and functioning to receive vertical milling pressures.

Other features of the invention reside in D means for vertically adjusting the pillar or a like support for the worktable and in `guiding same in its movement; while further features reside in the construction, arrangement, and method of operation hereinafter moreA fully described and -set forth in the appended claims. Y

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation ci the milling machine according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 shows this milling machine in sideelevation. v

Figure 3 is a plan of the supporting device 'for the worktable, said worktable being` assumed to 50 have been removed.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-section on l-1 ci Fig. 1 through the sup-porting device for the worktable.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on lI--Il of Fig. 4

55 through said supporting device.

Fig. v6 is likewise a vertical section on Ill- III of Fig. 3 through said supporting device.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, il is the base ofthe milling machine, to which is bolted the column l2. At the tcpof the column i2 is an overhanging arm i3 on which a bearing i4 is slidable in guideways i5. Situated in the interior of thel column i2 are the driving and transmission gears for driving the arbor iii on which is mounted the cutter il. Mounted laterally on the column of the milling machine is a box i5 in which are accommodated the gearwheels for the table feed. Bolted to the front of the column il by the screws lil is a hollow housing 2i) which like the column i2 is mounted on the base it. This housing constitutes a guide slidably accommodating therein a vertically adjustable pillar 2l of hollow cylindrical formation carried by a screwthreaded spindle which is secured vto said pillar at 2t, and extends down the centre thereof.

The spindle 23 is supported by and projects into or through a screwthreaded bush 25 which is fast in a bevel gear 2S, rotatably mounted in the head El of an inner pillar or upright .'28. The inner pillar it is advantageously hollow and is bolted to a recessed plate l@ of the base ii. Secured by screws 3@ to the head 2t of the slidable pillar 2i is the guideway 3l, (Fig. 5), on which is guided in known manner the carriage Ztl-and on the latter in its turn the worktable 33. The carriage 32 is slidable' on the guideway 3i atV right-angles tc the milling direction, while the wcrktable 33 is movable on the .carriage 32 in the milling direction. The drive of this movement of the worktable '33 is effected in known manner veither by means of the handwheel 354 or from the gearbox it through shaft 35. Said shaft 35 is formed with a ball or other flexible joint, so that it can follow the vertical movements of the worktable.

Fast in the pillar guide 2i* isa Abush ifi 6) in which is rotatable a'bolt 3l on which is adapted to be placed la crank or other turning member not shown. The bush '3S projects through a slot @il ci the adjustable pillar 2i into the interior of the latter, and the 'inner end oi the bolt ill has fixed thereon a small bevel gear 3S which is permanently meshed with the bevel gear it.

In vorder to secure the ipillar 2lr against rotation in the guide 2U, it is guided in 'its vertical movement by a strip di). For this purpose, the pillar guide 2t and also the pillar 2l are provided with a groove 4I and l2 respectively. The guide strip 49 may have a square, rectangular,

'or other polygonal, or even circular cross-section.

For holding the guide strip 40, there is in the pillar guide or housing 20 a screw 43 with a collar 44, and said collar 44 engages a notch 45 in the guide strip 4U. The guide strip 4|) is not iirmly attached to the guide 20 of pillar 2|, but it is suspended in the space formed by grooves 4| and 42, and torsions occurring on the pillar 2| in a tangential direction are supported on the outer groove 4| by means of the guide strip 40.

The handles 46 and 41 serve for fixing the pillar 2| in its adjusted verti-cal position. The handle 46 is mounted on a screw 48 screwed into the pillar guide 20. The pillar guide 2|) is slotted in its upper part at 49 and 50 and can be contracted by turning the handle 46 so as to clamp or grip the pillar 2|. The handle 41 is mounted on a screw which passes loosely through a bush 52 and is screwed into a bush 53. The bushes 52 and 53 are slidable in a tangentially disposed bore 54 of the pillar guide 20, and are secured against rotation by the screws 55 which engage longitudinal grooves or slots. The two bushes 52 and 53 bear with the edges 56 and 51 against the periphery of the pillar 2|. On turning the handle 41, which is supported on one bush 52, the two 'bushes 52 and 53 move towards each other, thereby pressing against the pillar 2|, so that the latter is clamped.

For protection against chippings and dust, a leather or other iieXible bellows 58, adapted to follow the vertical adjustment of the pillar 2| is arranged between the top of the pillar guide 2D and the carriage guideway 3|.

The mode of operation of the new supporting device for the worktable is as follows:

After the clamping of the pillar guide 20 has been released by backward rotation of the handles 46 and 41, a crank is assembled on the bolt `31. By turning this crank, the gear wheel 39 meshing with the gear-wheel 26 is actuated. Said gear-wheel 26 rotates the screwthreaded bush 25 rigidly mounted in it, and hence the spindle 23 threaded through said bush is raised and lowered according to the direction of rotation of the crank. When the pillar 2| has been brought to the desired height, the handles 46 and 41 are again manipulated to clamp the pillar 2| tightly in the pillar guide 20.

The adjustment of the worktable carriage 32 by means of a crank placed on the bolt 59 and adjustment of the worktable 33 by means of the handwheel, is known per se and need not Ibe described here.

The vertical pressures occurring during the milling of a workpiece clamped on the table 33 are, according to the invention, taken up by the pillar 2| and are transmitted to the spindle 23 and to the bevel gear 26, whence they are supported on the recessed plate 29 of the base through the medium of a thrust ball bearing 60 and the inner pillar 28.

The horizontal milling pressures, on the contrary, are received by the pillar guide 20, and if they appear as tangential forces on the pillar 2|, they are taken up by the guide strip 40 which is supported in the groove 4| against the pillar guide 20.

The slot 38 in the pillar 2| for the passage of the bush 36 may also be made wide enough for permitting partial rotation of the pillar. In

order to make possible such partial rotation the guide strip 40 must be removed. Furthermore, the particular cross-section of the pillar 2| and its guide 20 is immaterial. In the constructional example shown in the drawing, this is circular, but it could equally well be of rectangular, square, or polygonal cross-section.

The use of a hollow cylinder as support and guide for the worktable has its advantages, and it will be appreciated that in such cylinder could be used the drive for the cross sli-de of the worktable. It is, however, conceivable that instead of a cylinder there may be employed three or more individual pillars arranged on a circle. In any case, however, the support for the worktable is vertically disposed immediately beneath the worktable.

We claim:

1. A supporting device for the worktable of a milling machine, comprising an upstanding pillar guide, a pillar slidable therein, means for moving the pillar in said guide, means for supporting said pillar on the Ibase of the machine, two bushes slidable in the pillar wall, one of said bushes being internally screwthreaded while the other has a smooth bore, a bolt screwed into the screwthreaded bush and projecting through the smooth bore of the other bush, and a handle bearing on the second bush and adapted to rotate the bolt, draw both bushes towards one another and exert a grip on the periphery of the pillar.

2. In or for a milling machine a supporting de- Vice for the work-table comprising an upstanding stationary hollow pillar guide, a pillar vertically slidable therein, means for eiecting Vertical movement of said pillar in said guide, means for supporting said pillar and guide on the base of the machine, means for guiding the pillar in its vertical movement and preventing rotation of the same, consisting of a guide strip positioned in opposed grooves in said guide and said pillar, and a screw device for releasably retaining said strip in position.

3. A supporting device for the work-table of a milling machine comprising a hollow upstanding pillar guide, having a slotted Wall, a pillar for carrying the work-table vertically slidable in said guide, means for effecting vertical movement of said pillar, means for positively contracting the slotted portion of said pillar guide to clamp said pillar against movement therein, and other means within said pillar guide also for clamping said pillar against movement in said guide.

4. A supporting device for the work-table oi a milling machine comprising a hollow upstanding pillar guide, having a slotted wall, a pillar for carrying the work-table vertically slidable in said guide, means for eiecting vertical movement of said pillar, means for positively contracting the slotted portion of said pillar guide to clamp said pillar against movement therein, and other means within said pillar guide also for clamping said pillar against movement in said guide, said two-pillar clamping means being positioned adjacent opposite ends of said guide.

REINHARD MAX WOHLFARTH. PAUL ALFRED MITTER. 

